I was expecting the Thanksgiving dinner to be awkward and full of causal niceties since I had met Angela just once and her son, Chase never. But it was going on better than I'd hoped.
We were all sitting around the round dining table which was circled with some really mouth watering dishes. I tried to steer clear my mind away from my encounter with Skye earlier today and how good it felt to just be close to him. My adamant self wouldn't give in though by actually trying to talk to him at that time and it could get really frustrating.
Angela made us all pray before we began gobbling down the delicious food. Soon, all of us went into a small talk. Even Chase was pretty cool and his personality reminded me so much of Chelsea. They both would get along pretty fine.
What gave me the most comfort was that nobody dared to talk about my pathetic life. Even if they were curious, they didn't show it or maybe my dad must have told them beforehand to keep everything away from that topic. Whatever the case may be, I was grateful to not talk about any of it.
"So, tell me, Valerie, are you liking your time here in Washington?" Angela asked me with a soft smile.
"Can't say that I don't. I think it's the change that I needed," I answered. It was a vague attempt to imply that I was in dire need of some air and that taking a break from New York was benefitting for me.
Angela placed her hand on mine and her features softened with concern. "I am here, okay?" She said it in a very low voice, patting my hand once.
I nodded my head, loving her motherly tender touch.
"The turkey's a blast, Angie. I love it!" Dad complimented with a huge grin, in efforts to ward off the awkwardness.
Well so much for ignoring the truth and it was all me. But it was still good to know that nobody questioned about it any further.
"Aww, thank you," she gushed, placing her hand on her chest.
"Anyway, Valerie, tell me about NYC. That's like my dream place," Chase said. He seemed really excited. "And heck, I am even thinking about sending my application to NYU."
"It's… good." I shrugged after giving him the lamest reply. "But I'm all for the city lights. Soothes me at night after having a tiring day." Everything and every sentence that I spoke reminded me of how I lost my job so easily within a snap of the fingers. Just like that. "I mean you'll love it." I forced out a smile.
"Well that wasn't such a "descriptive" description but I'll take it. It's actually piqued my interest." He grinned.
And that was how the dinner went. Chill and easygoing. Pretty much what I wanted.
Once it was over, I insisted on helping Angela to wash the dishes while my dad and Chase were discussing extensively about football stuff as he wished to be the team captain.
Angela continued washing the dishes as I wiped them dry before putting them in their designated places. From the looks of it, I knew that she was itching to talk about something but I didn't force her. It was quiet for some time but then she finally sighed and looked at me.
I started laughing at her self restraint and beckoned with my hands to give her the signal to speak up. "Go ahead, Angela. What's it?"
"I just want to know how you're taking everything. I know it could get depressing, which is why I wanna let you know that no matter the distance, you can always talk to me, hmm?" She assured me soothingly.
"I know, Angela, and I am fine, honestly," I even beamed for some added effect.
She didn't seem to be convinced by my words but she didn't push me either.
As we were doing our work monotonously, I thought about taking her advice and telling her what I didn't say to my dad. The motive behind this crass scandal. "Actually there is…"
Angela stopped washing the dishes altogether and turned toward me in a jiffy as I trailed off. Leaning against the sink, she put her hand on her waist. "Tell me."
I released a throaty laugh but turned serious as soon as it clicked to me what I was going to tell her. "Um, so." I cleared my throat, stalling for some reason. "I think someone's set this all up. It was intentional, all the pictures airing everywhere. Like there's some sort of motive?" I told her.
She gasped with wide eyes and I gauged her reaction meticulously to know what she thought about my words. "What makes you say that?" She whispered after making sure that no one was listening.
I shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know," I lied because I didn't want to tell her about the things that I wasn't sure of either but rather have my sceptics about.
She nodded her head, biting her lip thoughtfully. "This seems serious. Do you have any suspicions?"
"I guess I do."
"Just… just take care of yourself, Valerie. Okay?" She bobbed her head up and down with worry etched onto her beautiful face.
"I'll be fine, Angela. You don't need to worry." I placed my hand on her shoulder comfortingly and she seemed to relax.
"Well I am glad to hear that. Just sue them. Sue them so bad that they can't even afford dollars to buy toilet papers," she joked but there was a hidden anger in her otherwise calm eyes. She was actually growing on me as a motherly figure.
I guffawed at her words and she joined along. I was loving this bonding time since my mom had been pretty much absent in my whole life. "Thank you, Angela," I said sincerely.
"No worries." She winked.
"Oh, and… just… don't tell any of this to my dad. I figured that he might do things his way since our profession is too similar. And you know… I wanna take care of this on my own," I told her, almost pleading.
She seemed a bit hesitant, not quite open to the idea of hiding something from her fiancé. Just when I thought that it wasn't a good idea to tell her, she began nodding her head slowly. "Okay…" she agreed. "You told me because you trust me and that in itself is such a huge deal for me so yeah… it'll be our secret," she promised.
"What will be your secret?"
I stifled a gasp when I heard my dad's voice from behind me. Plastering a fake smile on my face, I turned around to see him and Chase sporting confused looks.
"Well it's nothing," Angela spoke, handling the matter calmly. "Like I said, it's "our" secret. And a secret's a secret for a reason." I wanted to bang my head on the nearest wall because saying it like that was actually intriguing to them to know more. Although her next words brought out a smirk on my face. "Especially when two girls share it."
That seemed to have done the trick because they looked uneasy immediately. "Well then I am good." Chase raised his hands and left the scene with an urgent sprint in his step.
"And, um, I'm not curious anymore so…" My dad walked off quickly too, making Angela and I go into a huge laughing fit.
"That was a good one," I told her with a huge grin and she winked again. "Oh, and um, Angela?" I called out when she was about to leave the kitchen.
Looking over her shoulder, she murmured, "Yeah?"
"I really can't wait for you to marry my dad!" I squealed excitedly and her eyes widened as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Don't give me that look. I am genuinely happy, Angela."
A small smile cracked up on her lips and she blushed slightly. "Thanks, Valerie. Coming from you, it means a lot to me." She linked my arm with hers and squeezed it gently. "Come on now before the guys think that we're actually doing some voodoo magic as our "secret"."
Snickering like two teenage girls, we both walked toward the backyard where dad and Chase were lounging with some beer bottles and a can of coke or two. Taking our seat on the two empty chairs, we all fell into quiet murmurs.
For the first time, I felt like I was with a whole and real family on an occasional day. I felt complete. We were sharing stories back and forth and I was enjoying it immensely. It warmed me from the insides to know that I still have something to look forward to in my life. It actually made me forget about all of my problems.
Soon enough, Angela and my dad left inside the house to call it a night which left me alone with Chase.
Like the conversation maker he is, he jumped at the opportunity and threw a question at me immediately. "What do you think about my mom and Robert together?"
"I am cool. I mean Angela is pretty awesome but I did make an error in judgement when I had first met her," I replied. I made a face because of how I behaved and flat out refused to even give her a chance.
"Oh?" He asked. He put his elbows on his knees and looked at me from under the mob of his curly dark hair. His features were nothing like Angela, making me wonder about his dad. "Why so?"
I looked at him in surprise because I thought he'd know since she must have told him. "Well, I was… wary. After my mom left us, my dad started dating all these ladies who just cared about the money. Once they'd get it, they'd leave. I hated them all and so, imagine my surprise when he told me that he's engaged." I widened my eyes, doing a comical expression.
This made him laugh and pointed a finger at me to show that he agreed. "When did you know that they were engaged?"
"About two months ago?" I said unsurely. "I didn't get to see them during their dating phase either." I shook my head. My gaze landed in a far off distance and I was silent for some time. "I was pretty rude to her but she welcomed me, ignoring my bratty attitude. Gosh, that was embarrassing." I placed my hands on my cheeks and looked at him. "Now I know that they're meant for each other."
"It happens but I'm glad that you gave her a shot." He smiled, making his dimples show.
"What about you? How'd you accept their relationship?" I asked him, exhaling a breath and tightening my flannel coat around me.
"I was happy actually," he told me honestly.
"That makes me sound like I've got attitude issues."
"No. No, I mean you've had your reasons and I have mine to react the way that I did. You see, my dad was in a SWAT team but then… something happened during one of his missions and… he died." He shrugged like it didn't affect him but the look in his eyes said otherwise.
"I am so sorry-"
He started shaking his head with another one of his smiles. "Don't be. I don't even remember him much. I was a kid at that time but I saw my mom while growing up. The light in her was… gone. That incident affected her beyond my imagination and those days still haunt me. She was aloof, distant and almost lifeless but she kept on going with a smile on her face. The only reason I could tell that she wasn't happy was because… I would stand outside her room to hear her quiet sobs. I wouldn't have known this but one night, it got too stormy and thunders-" He stopped, his voice choking.
I quickly took a seat beside him and began rubbing his back. "Hey, it's okay. Take a deep breath, alright?" He obliged but not a single tear rolled down his cheek. He was holding himself back with the way he was fisting his hands but I could see the pool forming in his eyes. "Cry it all out," I encouraged him.
He was silent for some time, trying to collect himself together before speaking up again. "I was so scared that I… that I ran down the hall to my mom's room and then after that night I would stand outside her room for years to know how she's doing," he explained to me, this time with tears cascading down his cheeks and his face flushed.
I didn't say anything and continued rubbing his back.
"But then one day, it all stopped. For the first time, she seemed sincerely happy. I saw a twinkle in her eyes and then she told me about her engagement. Mind you, I was the one who was more ecstatic than her." He released a watery chuckle and I smiled at him.
He wiped his face with the back of his hands and ran a hand through his hair.
"I am just so glad that she's finally happy after all that she's gone through. She deserves it and if Robert makes her happy then so be it."
"Wow." I chuckled softly. "She must be so proud to have a son like you."
He shrugged. "She should!" We both began laughing ridiculously.
"No but seriously, how old are you again?" I asked him with furrowed brows.
"16, will turn 17 in a few months. Why?"
I shook my head incredulously. "You're 16, almost 17 and you're so intelligent!" I exclaimed, praising him with wide eyes.
He feigned an offended look. "Are you implying that high schoolers can't be smart?"
"Nah but what I am saying is that you're a few years older than your age so cherish it. Even today, I find it so hard to be so understanding but… look at you, stud!" I said, gesturing at him with my arms.
"Well what can I say? I mean, girls love this, don't they?" He grinned, wiggling his brows.
I rolled my eyes at him and bumped his shoulder blade with my fist. "If you're trying to sidetrack me by saying that those tears were all fake and you were just pretending to be sensitive, then don't. I won't judge you for crying. In fact, like my dad always says, 'It's better to be humane than not.'"
"Aww, big sis. You know, I've always wanted to have an elder sibling and now I've finally got one!" He hugged me from the side, taking me off guard for a second.
Once I was out of my shocked state, I hugged him back. "Yeah? Why so?"
"So that I could feel like a real, young teenager too. And not a pretentious intelligent guy, who's a few years older than his actual age. You're giving me that chance, big sis," he mumbled quietly.
His words touched my heart and I rested my head on his with a small smile playing on my lips. "Talk like that and I'll start calling you big bro."
We both began laughing at that, making it echo in the quiet of the night.
~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~
Okay so I just wanna take a moment to thank these people because they always vote on my chapters and it just makes me so happy! SO, Thank you xEKV05x AdrianaRafaela0 and Riit12
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